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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025 10-21 PC Meeting Minutes October 21, 2025 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes 1 MINUTES MAPLEWOOD PLANNING COMMISSION 7:00 P.M. Tuesday, October 21, 2025 City Hall, Council Chambers 1830 County Road B East A. CALL TO ORDER A meeting of the Commission was held and called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Chairperson Desai B. ROLL CALL Tushar Desai, Chairperson Present Lue Yang, Vice Chairperson Present Paul Arbuckle, Commissioner Present John Eads, Commissioner Present Allan Ige, Commissioner Absent Tom Oszman, Commissioner Present Scott Wullschleger, Commissioner Present Staff Present: Elizabeth Hammond, Planner C. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Commissioner Oszman moved to approve the agenda as presented. Seconded by Commissioner Arbuckle Ayes – All The motion passed. D. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. September 16, 2025 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Vice Chairperson Yang moved to approve the September 16, 2025 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes as submitted. Seconded by Commissioner Wullschleger Ayes – All The motion passed. E. PUBLIC HEARING 1. Church of Pentecost, 1701 Gervais Avenue East a. Conditional Use Permit Resolution b. Wetland Buffer and Parking Setback Variance Resolution Elizabeth Hammond, Planner, gave the presentation. Chairperson Desai opened the public hearing. The following individuals addressed the commission regarding the project: October 21, 2025 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes 2 Brian Tempas, LSE Architects Joseph Rief, Civil Site Group Merrilee Horton, 2464 Flandrau Street Chairperson Desai closed the public hearing. Commissioner Oszman moved to approve a conditional use permit resolution for a religious facility at 1701 Gervais Avenue East, subject to certain conditions of approval. CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT RESOLUTION BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Maplewood, Minnesota, as follows: Section 1. Background. 1.01 The Church of Pentecost has requested a Conditional Use Permit for a religious facility on the property at 1701 Gervais Avenue East. 1.02 The property located at 1701 Gervais Avenue East is legally described as: The South Half of the West Half of Lot 3, E.G. Roger’s Garden Lots, Ramsey County, Minnesota, according to the recorded plat thereof. Except: The East 30.00 feet and the North 180.00 feet thereof. PIN: 102922140047 Section 2. Standards. 2.01 General Conditional Use Permit Standards. The City Ordinance states that the City Council must base approval of a Conditional Use Permit on the following nine standards for approval. 1. The use would be located, designed, maintained, constructed, and operated to be in conformity with the City’s Comprehensive Plan and Code of Ordinances. 2. The use would not change the existing or planned character of the surrounding area. 3. The use would not depreciate property values. 4. The use would not involve any activity, process, materials, equipment or methods of operation that would be dangerous, hazardous, detrimental, disturbing or cause a nuisance to any person or property, because of excessive noise, glare, smoke, dust, odor, fumes, water or air pollution, drainage, water run-off, vibration, general unsightliness, electrical interference or other nuisances. 5. The use would not exceed the design standards of any affected street. 6. The use would be served by adequate public facilities and services, including streets, police and fire protection, drainage structures, water and sewer systems, schools and parks. 7. The use would not create excessive additional costs for public facilities or services. 8. The use would maximize the preservation of and incorporate the site’s natural and scenic features into the development design. October 21, 2025 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes 3 9. The use would cause minimal adverse environmental effects. Section 3. Findings. 3.01 The proposal meets the specific Conditional Use Permit standards. Section 4. City Review Process 4.01 The City conducted the following review when considering this conditional use permit request. 1. On October 21, 2025, the Planning Commission held a public hearing. City staff published a hearing notice in the Pioneer Press and sent notices to the surrounding property owners. The Planning Commission allowed everyone to speak and present written statements at the hearing. The Planning Commission recommended that the City Council approve this resolution. 2. On November 24, 2025, the City Council discussed this resolution. They considered reports and recommendations from the planning commission and City staff. Section 5. City Council 5.01 The City Council hereby _______ the resolution. Approval is based on the findings outlined in section 3 of this resolution. Approval is subject to the following conditions: 1. All ground-mounted and roof-mounted mechanical equipment and trash receptacles shall be screened according to the ordinance. 2. All construction shall follow the approved plans. The director of community development may approve minor changes. 3. The proposed construction must be substantially started within one year of council approval, or the permit shall become null and void. 4. The city council shall review this permit in one year. The applicant shall meet the conditions outlined in the design review resolution. Seconded by Vice Chairperson Yang Ayes – All The motion passed. Vice Chairperson Yang moved to approve a wetland buffer and parking setback variance resolution for a building addition and parking lot expansion to be constructed at 1701 Gervais Avenue East. WETLAND BUFFER AND PARKING SETBACK VARIANCE RESOLUTION BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Maplewood, Minnesota, as follows: Section 1. Background. October 21, 2025 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes 4 1.01 The Church of Pentecost has requested a wetland buffer and parking setback variance to construct a building addition and parking lot expansion on the property at 1701 Gervais Avenue East. 1.02 The property located at 1701 Gervais Avenue East is legally described as: The South Half of the West Half of Lot 3, E.G. Roger’s Garden Lots, Ramsey County, Minnesota, according to the recorded plat thereof. Except: The East 30.00 feet and the North 180.00 feet thereof. PIN: 102922140047 1.03 The site has a Manage B wetland on the northwest portion of the property, which requires a 75-foot buffer. The project will involve grading up to the wetland edge for the installation of a stormwater discharge pipe and an infiltration basin, which will extend 45.8 feet into the 75-foot buffer. Additionally, the parking lot on the north side of the building will encroach 29.5 feet into the buffer. The building addition and parking lot expansion project will require a 75-foot variance for the wetland buffer. 1.04 The existing parking lot for the church, located along the east side of the property, encroaches between two and five feet into the 15-foot required setback along Flandrau Street. The parking lot will be repaved and expanded on the south side of the building addition and the north side of the existing building. The parking area along the east side of the site is proposed to be between two and five feet from the east property line, requiring a parking setback variance. Section 2. Standards. 2.01 Wetland Buffer and Parking Setback Variance Standards. The City Ordinance states that the City Council must base approval of a variance on the following standards. 1. Before the city council acts on a wetland ordinance variance, the Environmental and Natural Resources Commission and the Planning Commission will make a recommendation to the city council. The city shall hold a public hearing for the variance. The city shall notify property owners within 500 feet of the property for which the variance is being requested at least ten days before the hearing. 2. The city may require the applicant to mitigate any wetland, stream, or buffer alteration impacts with the approval of a variance, including, but not limited to, implementing one or more of the strategies listed in subsection 18-221(e)(4) (mitigation). 3. To approve a variance, the city council shall apply the findings for variance approval as required in Minnesota Statutes. 4. The applicant for a variance shall submit, with the variance application and any other required materials, a statement showing how the proposal would meet the findings for variance approval. Section 3. Findings. 3.01 The proposal meets the specific wetland buffer and parking setback variance standards. Section 4. City Review Process 4.01 The City conducted the following review when considering this wetland buffer and parking setback variance request. October 21, 2025 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes 5 1. On October 21, 2025, the Planning Commission held a public hearing. City staff published a hearing notice in the Pioneer Press and sent notices to the surrounding property owners. The Planning Commission allowed everyone to speak and present written statements at the hearing. The Planning Commission recommended that the City Council approve this resolution. 2. On November 12, 2025, the Environmental and Natural Resources Commission held a public meeting to discuss the proposal. The ENR recommended that the City Council ______ this resolution. 3. On November 24, 2025, the City Council discussed this resolution. They considered reports and recommendations from the planning commission and City staff. Section 5. City Council 5.01 The City Council hereby _______ the resolution. Approval is based on the findings outlined in section 3 of this resolution. Approval is subject to the following conditions: 1. All construction shall follow the approved plans. The director of community development may approve minor changes. The applicant shall meet the conditions outlined in the design review resolution. Seconded by Commissioner Oszman Ayes – All The motion passed. This item will go to the city council on November 24, 2025. F. NEW BUSINESS 1. Capital Improvement Plan 2026-2030, Planning Commission Joe Rueb, Finance Director, presented the 2026-2030 Capital Improvement Plan and answered questions from the commission. Commissioner Eads moved to approve the draft 2026-2030 Capital Improvement Plan. Seconded by Commissioner Wullschleger Ayes – All The motion passed. G. UNFINISHED BUSINESS None H. COMMISSION PRESENTATIONS None I. STAFF PRESENTATIONS None J. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS None K. ADJOURNMENT October 21, 2025 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes 6 Chairperson Desai adjourned the meeting at 8:57 p.m.